Pruning shears and the like



Feb. 17, 1948. K. J. KLENK PRUNING SHEARS AND THE LIKE Filed June 19, 1945 s Sheets-Shet 1 A'TT RN Y Feb.17,l948. v K. J.KLENK 2,436,26

PRUNING SHEARS AND THE LIKE Filed June 19, 1945 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR' ATT R K. J..KLENK PRUNING SHEARS AND THE LIKE Filed June 19, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOP he: [42 E/V/f BY at I;

ATT RN Patented Feb. 17, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRUNING SHEARS AND THE LIKE Karl J. Klenk, Wilmington, Del. Application June 19, 1945, Serial No. 600,262 Claims. (01. 30-239) The invention herein disclosed relates to gripping and cutting tools in the nature of pruning shears.

Objects of the invention are to provide a tool of this character which will be powerful in its action and which when embodied in the form of pruning shears will operate to grip and to cut branches and the like without breaking and tearing the bark.

Related objects of the invention are to accomplish the cutting with a double action circular form of draw out and thus to shear the material from opposite sides without crushing or tearing.

Further important objects are to provide wider opening of the Jaws or blades within a limited opening range of the handles. that is, within the normal grasp or grip of the fingers holding and operating the tool.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a tool of the character indicated which will be strong and durable in its construction, selfsharpening in its action and generally desirable in the purposes for which it is intended.

Other desirable objects and the novel features by which the purposes of the invention are attained are set forth or will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate certain present practical embodiments of the invention'but structure may be modified and changed as regards these illustrations. all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. 1 in the drawings is an elevation of the invention as embodied in a pair of pruning shears and shown in the open relation;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the shears closed; 1

Fig. 3 is a broken, part sectional view of the parts as in Fig. 1, with the top fulcrum plate or lever removed to show internal parts;

crum screw or pin I 4, is a pair of levers I 5 extending beyond and arched over to the opposite I 7 side of the handle fulcrum I2, said levers'carrying at their outer ends the fulcrum bolt or pin i6 for the blade I1.

The latter, as possibly best shown in Fig. 3, is fulcrumed intermediate its ends and is actuated by a pair of levers l8 pivoted to the inner end of the blade at l9 and iulcrumed at 20' on one end of the link 2|. extending from said levers l8 below the handle pivot l2 over to the opposite side and there pivoted at 22 to'the blade supporting levers i5.

The lower or inner ends of the blade actuating levers I8 are shown provided with inclined cam slots 23 engaged over a cross pin or screw 24 in the handle ll.

Cooperating with the mid-length iulcrumed rocking blade I! is a companion blade 25 iulcrumed at its outer end at 26 between blade supporting plates or levers 21. These levers are shown as fulcrumed at their inner ends on a pivot stud or screw 28 on the handle II and extending beyond and arched over to the opposite side of the handle pivot l2.

The second described-or end iulcrumed blade 25 is actuated by means of a link 29 pivoted at one end to the inner end of the blade at30 and pivoted at the opposite end at 3| between the first described jaw closing levers l8.

In Fig. 3 it will be seen that in the closing of the handles m, H, the levers ill will fulcrum at 20 on. the end of link 2|, the cam connection at 23, 24, rocking these levers and causing them.

.through pivotal connections [9 and 30, 3|, to

swing blade l'l about mid-fulcrum l6 and blade 25 about end-fulcrum 26. Blade I I will be thereby rotated in a left-handed and inwardly 'closing direction and blade 25 at the same time will be rotated from its outer end in a righthanded and outwardly closing direction.

Figs. 4 and 5 are cross sectional views as on substantially the planes of line 4-4 01 Fig. 2 and line 5-5 of Fig. 1, respectively;

Fig. 6 is a broken part sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention;

Figs. 7 and 8 are elevations showing the latter form 01 the tool in open and closed relations;

Pivotally mounted on the handle l0, on a iul- The two blades are thus given circular movements in opposite directions, causing them to grip and to shear cut into interposed material. These opposed shear or draw cuts hold the material against slipping or rolling, producing a clean cut without injury. in the case of pruning shears, to the bark and surface materialadjoining the cut. I p

The mounting of the blades on levers iulcrumed on the opposite handles provides a self- ,compensating action enabling the blades to automatically equalize their shearing loads.

The levers 21 carrying the blade 25 are shown secured together and held in parallel relation by in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 embodies the same general principles as to mounting the jaws or blades on supports extended from the opposite sides of the handles and pivoting one blade I! on an axis 15 intermediate its ends and the other blade 25 at its outer end at 26.

The structure is somewhat simplified, however, by making the supporting extensions integral with the handles, instead of as separate levers (such as I! and 21, Fig. 1) fulcrumed on the handles.

The handle i which, as in the first form, is of "folded" construction, has the side which is at the rear in Fig. 6 extended over to the opposite side of the pivot l2 as a support a for the in termediate fulcrum i6, and the side of the bandie I l which appears at the front in Figs. '7 and 8 is extended over to the opposite side at 21a to carry the end fulcrum 26.

The blade closing lever 18a fulerums at 20 on a link 2i but the link in this instance is directly pivoted on handle Ill at 38 instead of being pivoted on a swing support such as the lever IS in Fig. 3.

.The lower or inner end of lever lfla is shown as having an offset cam extension 39, Fig. 6, engaging within the hollow of handle ll, confined in this relation by the screw or pin 40 extending across the folded portion of the handle.

A tension spring 4i connected between the innor portion 42 of blade I1 and a lug 43 engaged on pin 44 and which latter has a bearing against the.oifset of lever laa, provides the means for effecting opening movement of the Jaws and handles.

i To provide an antifriction type of bearing the pin 44 is pivoted in a washer 45 pivotally entered in a part circular seat 46 in one side of lever [8a and the opposite side of this duplicate lever has a corresponding seat 46 for the rounded end 4'! of a hook lever 48, which as shown inFig. 8, can be engaged over the pin or screw38 in the hollow of handle ill to secure the tool .in law closed relation. As shown in Fig. 9, the securing hook 48, pivotally engaged on the screwor stud 44, overlies the bearing washer 45 at one side to confine it in the bearing 46 and extends at 49 across the bottom of this washer over to the other side where it is bent parallel with the hookportion to provide, the second bearing 41. A washer 50 on this end of the pivot 44 overlying this side of the link Illa confines the, bearing portion 41 in place.

In both forms of the inventionillustrated the blades or jaw members have a compound,,part circular movement providing .in the case of bladsthe effect of a double acting circular draw cut. .The leverage systems provide ample power. with wide opening of the laws within the range of a convenient hand grip openingof the handle lovers. The circular, double shear action cuts the material without bruising or tearing the surface, preventing, in the case of pruning shears, injury to the bark of growing plants.

While illustrated as embodied in pruning shears, it is realized that the invention may b6 incorporated in other tools more or less similar in action. The law members, therefore, may be considered as actual Jaws or. as here illustrated, in the nature of cutting blades.

The structures are strong and durable and the parts are held aligned in self-sharpening relation.

What is claimed is: 1. A tool of thecharacter disclosed, comprising ivotally connected hand levers, supports extend ing from said hand levers to the opposite sides of and beyond the pivotal connection between the levers. companion Jaw members, one pivoted inter mediate its ends on one of said supports and the other pivoted at its outer end on the other of said supports and leverage means actuated by said hand levers and connected with said pivoted jaw members and including a Jaw closing lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends to one hand lever, operatively engaged at its inner end by the other hand lever and pivotally connected at its outer end with the inner ends of the intermediately and end pivoted Jaw members.

2. A tool of the character disclosed comprising pivotally connected hand levers. supports extending from said hand levers to the opposite sides of and beyond the pivotal connection between the levers. companion jaw members, one pivoted intermediate its ends on one of said supports and the other pivoted at its outer end on the other of said supports and leverage means actuated by said hand levers and connected with said pivoted jaw members and including a jaw closing leverfulcrumed intermediate its ends to one hand lever. operatively engaged at its inner end by the other handlever and pivotally connected at its outer end with the inner ends of the intermediately and end pivoted jaw members, said supports being inthe form of levers pivotally mounted on the hand levers.

3. A tool of the character disclosed comprising pivotally connected hand levers, supports extending from said hand levers to the opposite sides'of an'dbeyond the pivotal connection between the levers, companion jaw members. one pivoted intermediate its ends on one of said supports and the other pivoted at its outer end on the other of said supports and leverage means actuated by said hand levers and connected with said pivoted jaw members and including a jaw closing lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends to one hand lever, having a cam engagement at its inner end with the other hand lever and pivot-' actuated by said hand levers and connected with said pivoted jaw members and including a jaw closing lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends to one hand lever, operatively engaged at its inner end by the other hand lever and pivotally connectcd at its outer end with the inner ends of the intermcdiately and end pivoted Jaw members. said oppositely extending jaw member supports being integral extensions of said hand levers.

5. A tool of the character disclosed comprising pimaiiy connected hand levers, cross supp rts ding irom the [respective levers to the te sides 0! the pivotal eetion between the ievers, e blade pivoted intermediate iis ends on one of said supports, a companion blade pivcm at itsv outer end on the other at said supand lever mechanism ieetween said hand ievem and actuated thereby, seid iever mechanism m power multip eecti with the gective blades and including a blade ciesing lever iuicmmed intermediete its ends in one hand opemiiveiy wed at its er end by the ewe? e931: lever mviy ed at its mediately and one pivoted biadw.

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